The north carolina youth violence prevention center, in collaboration with healthy blue and child advocacy centers, will expand the reach and depth of the victim empowerment and education program to…

The Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded $830,000 to the NC Youth Violence Prevention Center on June 1, 2026, under the Children Exposed to Violence program (CFDA 16.818) to expand the Victim Empowerment and Education Program statewide across multiple regions in North Carolina.

The project will scale support services for children exposed to violence in homes, schools, and communities, with intensive therapy addressing immediate emotional and psychological needs. The Center will implement crime reduction strategies focused on violent juvenile offenders through Teen Court, which requires first-time youth offenders to complete community service and rehabilitative practices, and enhanced services for high-risk youth facing felony charges, including assessments, treatment, mentoring, and job skills training. Creative outreach and engagement strategies will develop employment opportunities designed to keep youth away from delinquency, violence, and victimization.

In collaboration with Healthy Blue and Child Advocacy Centers, the NC Youth Violence Prevention Center will conduct the work from Lumberton, North Carolina, with performance running through May 31, 2029. The project advances the program's dual goals of reducing juvenile violence through accountability efforts and responding to victimization by building community and family capacity to support children exposed to violence.

The north carolina youth violence prevention center, in collaboration with healthy blue and child advocacy centers, will expand the reach and depth of the victim empowerment and education program to reducethe effects of violence on children and enhancetheir developmental outcomes. The project will be scaled statewide to several regions in north carolina; develop support services for children exposed to violence in their homes, schools, and communities; and enhance and implement crime reduction strategies that focus on violent juvenile offenders. The goals of the project are to reduce juvenile violence, support child victims, and enhance protective factors. The center will focus on accountability for juvenile offenders through initiatives such as teen court to hold first-timeyouth offenders accountable by requiring community service and other rehabilitative practices; and services forhigh-riskyouth facing felony charges, including assessments, treatment, mentoring, and job skills training. This approach holds youth responsible while providing treatment that breaks cycles of violence. In addition, the victim empowerment and education program will provide intensive therapy to children who have been exposed to violence, addressing their immediate emotional and psychological needs. The project will also use creative outreach and engagement strategies that utilize mentoring and job skills training to develop employment opportunities that keep youth away from delinquency, violence, and victimization.